Title: The Pirates' Buried Treasure
Fandom: Sherlock Holmes (ACD)
Rating: G
Length: 477 words
Summary: When Stanley Hopkins comes to borrow a screwdriver since his has disappeared, Watson puts two and two together. [Retirement era]

"Good afternoon, Hopkins,” I said, when I answered to front door to our neighbour.  “Can I help you?”

“I don’t suppose I could borrow a very small screwdriver,” he said.  “Mine’s gone missing.”

“Of course,” I replied.  “I’ll just go and find you one.  Come in!”  I thought for a moment and then added, “That’s really strange.  I lost the small knife I use for sharpening pencils the other day, and Mrs Maiden has complained about missing teaspoons.  Have you lost anything else?”

“Annie did say she’d misplaced a thimble.  Do you think there’s a magpie about?”

“Only if its name is Sherlock Holmes,” I grunted.  “I do wonder.  Holmes entertained Lizzie and Edward while Annie took James to see the doctor on Wednesday.  I’m sure they were all pretending to be pirates.  I suspect there may be buried treasure.”

Hopkins laughed.  “If that is the case, I would like my screwdriver back.  But how are we going to find it?”

“I don’t doubt Mrs Maiden would appreciate the return of the teaspoons as well.”  I rummaged around on Holmes’ desk for a few minutes before triumphantly producing a piece of paper.  “One quarter of a treasure map,” I said.

“Is it enough?”

“Sadly no.  I imagine the other pieces of the map must be in your house.”

“Florrie is at home.  I’ll see if she can help,” Hopkins said.  “We’ll be back as soon as possible.”

Ten minutes later Hopkins and Florrie appeared, carrying two more sections, one of which was now rather illegible.

“This was all I could find, Dr Watson,” Florrie said.  “Will it be sufficient?”

I placed all three pieces on the kitchen table.  “I think it might be.  Would you like to see if you can find the spot while I make some tea?”

Florrie departed and returned soon afterwards.  “I think I’ve found where the treasure is buried,” she said.  “Do you have a trowel I can borrow to dig it up?”

“Yes, I’ll fetch one,” I said.  “I think we should all be present, so you can’t steal the treasure for yourself.”

Florrie laughed and then said, “The others will be disappointed when they discover we’ve found their treasure.”

“I’ve already thought of that.”  I produced a bag of boiled sweets, which I placed inside a small tin.  “We can hide this instead.  It will make a much more exciting treasure for your sister and brothers to find.”

Florrie had correctly identified the burying place of the treasure.  We made the change and Florrie took the two pieces of treasure map back home.  I returned the teaspoons and made no mention of our find to Holmes.  He knew, of course, but said nothing, simply joining in the happiness of the younger children a few days later, when they found edible treasure, although he declined the offer of a boiled sweet.